Defined-sequence polypeptides, peptoids and other polymers are routinely synthesized by solid phase methods in which amino acids are added step-wise to a growing polypeptide chain immobilized on a solid support. One well-known method for achieving such solid-phase peptide synthesis utilizes 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (FMOC) protecting groups on the amino acids. The general chemical reagents and conditions used in such synthesis are generally referred to a "FMOC chemistry" for peptide synthesis.
Automated systems for FMOC synthesis of polypeptides and other polymers are known. However, post-synthesis processing, including (i) cleavage of peptide from the support, (ii) side-chain deprotection and (iii) removal of non-peptide contaminants, is still carried out manually, requiring significant effort and ultimately limiting the rate of synthetic polymer production. Furthermore, the reagents used to achieve these steps are toxic and often extremely foul-smelling, making manual work up procedures both hazardous and unpleasant.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for increasing the speed and efficiency of post-synthetic workup of synthesized polypeptides and other polymers. There is also a need for achieving post-synthetic workup in a way that minimizes human exposure to toxic reagents.